Monday, April 29, 2013

Resurrection


Some of us are crucified early in our life experience.

In view of that idea, my whole life has been a resurrection.

Any time a step is taken, any size, no matter how small, by a person who has been abused, it is a step of resurrection.

The desire to help others is resurrection.

The ability to be compassionate is resurrection.

The desire and ability to provide comfort is resurrection.

Once the person who suffered the abuse realizes it is okay to be uncomfortable or fearful in circumstances which trigger the past, that person can simply be aware of it when it happens.

It is a big step, huge, not to shut down when that happens.

It is totally okay to notice it, though, and then to take appropriate action - deep breaths, distraction, leaving the location, any gentle treatment for oneself.

Finding ways to make a contribution to society in a way that uplifts her citizens is a drive.

We don’t want to see anyone mistreated, for any reason.

Bullies are unable to make the transition from what happened to them to a better way to feel.  They perpetuate what they experienced.

Before gaining the ability to deal with our own needs for comfort and safety, while being aware of the needs of others, it is very frustrating and reinforces the feeling of powerlessness.

But when it starts coming together, it is more and more empowering.

I am grateful for each step.


© 2013 Kathryn Hardage
www.InspiredPractices.com

Sunday, April 28, 2013

The Power of Loving Oneself


Love your ideals.

Love your goals.

Love everything about yourself.

You are the best that you have.

You are the best you will ever be.

Your goals and ideals are not by chance.

They show that you are not limited to what is in front of you.

They show you a way to live that is enriching and expansive.

There is always more in what you know and feel deeply than there is in any thing which is around you.

Loving yourself at each point in life is the best support you can offer yourself.

You know that things will always change.

You can look with awe at where you were and where you are, loving what shaped you.


© 2013 Kathryn Hardage
www.InspiredPractices.com

Sunday, April 21, 2013

What I Wanted To Do, I Have Done


My yard is beautiful.

It is a riot of colors.

Everything is in bloom, with even more to come as new plants mature.

I am so grateful for my gardening classes and workshops and certifications.

I am so grateful for learning about water and planting perennials.

I have a beautiful water-wise yard, and it is getting more and more maintenance free.

It will soon go through the cycles of the season without any help from me, and remain beautiful while many plants are dormant in the winter, only to bloom again in the spring.

Although I myself am far from maintenance free, I too am learning to honor my desires and to give myself permission to follow through on them.

I have a right to a beautiful yard and to a beautiful life.

I have a right to live free.


© 2013 Kathryn Hardage
www.InspiredPractices.com

Friday, April 19, 2013

I Am Harmony


I have never had this connection before.

I had built a wall between what was happening and what I needed to have happen.

Now that I am (mostly) not angry about it, I can take a look.

I had rerouted the normal connections in order to be able take care of myself.

So, lots of times, just normal, regular things did not make sense to me.

I had shut down those sensors.

Since they were never developed, it is interesting to be able to take a look at the easy, normal connections now that the wall is pretty thin.

The envelope of safety afforded to me from my "kingdom within" keeps expanding into a large safe haven.

I find I do not have to shut out anything in order to experience a harmonious life.

They are one and the same now.

Sometimes I am still mad about what happened, but the experience of emerging is pretty awesome.


© 2013 Kathryn Hardage
www.InspiredPractices.com

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Planting a Garden


As I dug the holes for my new perennial shrubs, I reflected on how far my garden has progressed.

Nine years ago, I had a plain front yard lawn.  I began adding my favorite flowers, dianthus, along with various Texas sage plants.  Since then, I have experimented to see what will grow in my soil and climate.

My main challenge has been to really listen to what I want to see in my yard.

I have continually added perennial plants, after becoming aware of the water crisis we are facing in North Texas.

I added pinks and reds, a Texas sage shrub with small pink flowers, red salvias, pink Skull Cap.

This winter I added tall biennial dianthus, with deep magenta flowers.

Since bees and bird pollinators see clusters of colors from high up in the sky, I have learned to group colors together.

Now, I am adding yellow flowering shrubs, coreopsis and Mexican Blanket.

It is my desire to have a yard which feels lush and generous during all seasons, including our drought periods.

I have only seen two other yards that are not plain front lawns in adjoining neighborhoods, both with very different plant collections.  One is Xeriscaped with many different varieties of cactus and dryland flowering plants. After talking to the homeowner of the second one, I found that it resulted entirely from self-planted trees and shrubs.

They both feel like oases during our summers.

I am glad to add one more oasis and to support water conservation at the same time.


© 2013 Kathryn Hardage

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Everyone, Without Exception


Everyone is loved, cherished, and adored.

Regardless of the circumstances of our years growing up, our levels of education, our geographical locations, our cultural identities, we are all loved, cherished, and adored.

The way we have all grown up is a viewpoint, an attitude.

We embellish it with our acceptance or rejection of what is around us.

Do we wish to perpetuate it?

Then we keep affirming and reaction to what now is.

Do we wish to change it?

Then we begin to build a new viewpoint, based on where we wish to be, and how we wish to live.

Do we wish to see violence and tyrannical selfishness?

Then we react, discuss, rage and fear about what has happened.

Do we wish to see unselfishness, generosity, compassion and kindness?

Then we build those actions into our own life more and more fully.

We know that is working when we see more and more of that happening around us.

We are infusing our preferred viewpoint and w are seeing the results of those baby steps.

As we practice taking those steps, we, and all the others who are also practicing, will see a natural strength and expansion of that practice.

Is is the preferred state of mind of all living creatures.

Mankind is smart enough to figure this out and to practice it, too.


© 2013 Kathryn Hardage
www.InspiredPractices.com

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

More...Gratitude

I am so grateful to notice that I have more gratitude.

I have been healed of a long-term physical problem.

I have completely reformed my outlook along the way.

I am enjoying many new talents and skills that I have actively pursued.

I am also grateful for the line of contrast for the things that I am still working on.

I can feel the difference.

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, I could not feel a difference.

Everything felt panicky and pressured.

I know now that I will work my way through and out of those other things.

After all, they, too, are just patterns of thought, trained reactions to the past.

Well, the past is gone, and so are many of its ghosts.

The rest will find they have no home here.


© 2013 Kathryn Hardage
www.InspiredPractices.com